[astro-ph.EP] A mix of internal and external radiation shielding plates are used, with those on the instrument electronics plus spectrograph sections shown here in gold color. Ultra-pure filtered dry N₂ gas enters the instrument through the purge connection to maintain instrument cleanliness through the time of launch

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, led by ESA, has an Ultraviolet Spectrograph (JUICE-UVS) contributed by NASA and built at Southwest Research Institute.

JUICE-UVS is designed to provide a diversity of measurements to further our understanding of the potential habitability of icy ocean worlds at Jupiter and to study Jupiter and the Jovian system as an archetype for gas giants.

JUICE-UVS photo at time of delivery in February 2020. With a volume of 35.4 cm × 41.1 cm × 15.8 cm its size is approximately that of a briefcase — [astro-ph.EP]

JUICE-UVS observes photons in the 50-204 nm wavelength range at moderate spectral and spatial resolution along a 7.5 deg slit composed of 7.3 deg x 0.1 deg and 0.2 deg x 0.2 deg contiguous sections.

JUICE-UVS performs a comprehensive study of icy satellite atmospheres, plumes, surfaces, and local space environments; Jupiter’s atmosphere and aurora; Io and its Io Plasma Torus; and other Jupiter system targets (rings, small moons, etc.) as available.

JUICE-UVS science objectives include studies of icy moons, Jupiter, and the Io System — [astro-ph.EP]

The variety of observational techniques employed include: nadir push-broom imaging, disk scans, limb stares, stellar and solar occultations, Jupiter transit observations, and neutral cloud/plasma torus stares and scans.

This paper describes the UVS investigation’s science plans, instrument details, concept of operations, and data formats in the context of the JUICE mission’s habitability and Jupiter system goals.

JUICE-UVS fields of regard (also described as unobstructed fields of view, UFOV). The SP is pointed 60° from the main boresight (AP/HP) to avoid the solar arrays from causing glints or obscuration — [astro-ph.EP]

Kurt D. Retherford, Philippa M. Molyneux, Thomas K. Greathouse, Michael W. Davis, G. Randall Gladstone, Steven C. Persyn, Maarten H. Versteeg, Mary F. Araujo, Fran Bagenal, Tracy M. Becker, Arnaud Beth, Ronald K. Black, Bertrand Bonfond, Shawn M. Brooks, Emma J. Bunce, Alain Carapelle, Steven Cortinas, Gregory J. Dirks, Bryan Esquivel, Paul D. Feldman, Sue Ferrell, Mark Ferris, Leigh N. Fletcher, Matthew A. Freeman, Marina Galand, Rohini S. Giles, Denis Grodent, Vincent Hue, Erica Johnson, Joshua A. Kammer, Cynthia Kempe, Laurent Lamy, Adrian Martin, Melissa A. McGrath, Edward G. Nerney, Carlos Nuñez, Zachary Olsen, Norman Pelletier, Brandon Perez, Kristian B. Persson, Eric Quémerais, Rick Raffanti, Ujjwal Raut, Ryan Rickerson, Lorenz Roth, Oswald H. W. Siegmund, John R. Spencer, Andrew J. Steffl, Bradley J. Trantham, John V. Vallerga, Todd J. Veach, Michael A. Velez, Brandon C. Walther, the JUICE-UVS Team

Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP); Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
Cite as: arXiv:2609.02856 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2609.02856v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.02856
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Submission history
From: Kurt Retherford
[v1] Wed, 2 Sep 2026 17:40:18 UTC (9,894 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02856

Astrobiology,